1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image processing apparatuses, image processing methods, and programs. More particularly, the present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a program that are capable of user-friendly display of zoom images.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some image processing apparatuses display partial areas of certain images in the display screens, such as monitors, instead of displaying the certain images in the original sizes generated from image signals that are input. The images in the original sizes are hereinafter referred to as original images.
For example, some image processing apparatuses cut out upper and lower partial areas of original images having an aspect ratio of 4:3 to display images having an aspect ratio of 16:9 in the display screens. Some image processing apparatuses display zoom images resulting from enlargement of part (certain areas) of original images in the display screens.
In the display of images in such image processing apparatuses, objects having important content among the objects appearing in original images are not possibly fit in the display screens. In other words, part of the important objects possibly disappears from the display screens.
In order to resolve the above problems, for example, when upper and lower partial areas of original images having an aspect ratio of 4:3 are cut out to display images having an aspect ratio of 16:9 in the display screens, some image processing apparatuses enable horizontal and vertical scrolling of the images displayed in the display screens to allow users to confirm the upper and lower areas of the original images having an aspect ratio of 4:3, which are not displayed in the display screens (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 4-266280).